Migration of the Planet of the Apes
by thepoltergoose
Summary: (Crossover with the Planet of the Apes) Byrd is a human, yes, but she was raised by a family which wasn't really human at all. Raised by a colony of apes migrating eastward toward the coast, Byrd had never seen another human. Well, she hadn't- until she met Clarke Griffin.
1. Chapter 1

Dark storm clouds rolled overhead. Byrd held tightly to the tree bark which scratched at her bare hands and feet, irritating her calloused skin. Rain began to fall from the dark clouds, bringing with it the cacophony of thunder and bright streaks of lightning. Byrd's fur cloaks shielded her skin from the rain, though it soaked her auburn hair which had been woven into braids by one of the younger female chimps. Beside Byrd perched an older chimp named Sparrow, his dark fur smeared with war paint. Sparrow had been extremely skeptical about taking the only human in the ape colony on a hunting trip.

 _She is awkward and clumsy. Byrd_ _will only get in the way._ The chimp had signed, but had given in when Ridge, a gorilla, had stepped in.

 _She needs to learn to hunt and find food. She is ape at heart._ Ridge had said.

 _She is human in mind and body_. Sparrow had answered with an angered glare. It wasn't that Sparrow hated Byrd, it was that he didn't trust her judgement. She was human and not as strong as apes, but she was strong and smart nonetheless.

Sparrow glanced down at Ridge's hunting party, where Ridge's son Stone stood beside him.

 _Ready?_ Sparrow had signed. Ridge had nodded, giving a worried glance at Byrd, who offered her surrogate father a smile.

 _I will be okay._ Byrd signed, giving Ridge a soft nod. While Byrd had not calmed Ridge's nerves, she knew he trusted her. Ridge, and his mate River, had raised Byrd for nearly eighteen some years. She had been two when they found her in a burning human village, but Ridge had taken Byrd under his watchful eye without a second thought. Stone, who was nearly five, was also on his first hunt. He signed something to Byrd, but she didn't catch it. Byrd's war paint, which had been lovingly applied to her face and rubbed into her hair by River, was beginning to smear- but she didn't care. She was ready, and she was eager. Her fingers tightened around her spear, which was poised to attack. They were targeting a small herd of deer below. The herd grazed obliviously, not aware of the apes- and the lone human- surrounding them.

As the apes had been forced to moved eastward from their home by the nuclear deserts laying waste to the west, they had found food was becoming more and more sparse and rare to find. But lately, however, food and prey were beginning to return.

Sparrow leaned to and fro in order to make sure the hunting parties were aligned, then readied himself.

"Go!" The chimp shrieked, making a sweeping motion with his right arm. The apes rushed around the herd, which began to panic. Byrd's heart began pumping anxiously in her chest as she hesitated. What if she jumped and couldn't get ahold of a branch?

With a shaky breath, she threw herself from the tree branch she was perched on. Her strong grip found a branch, which allowed her to swing in the direction she wished to go- toward a young male deer attempting to flee. She let go of the branch, her momentum carrying her- but she was intercepted by a doe escaping the spear of a bonobo named Thorn. Byrd hit the ground with a grunt, rolling just out of the way as a couple more deer thundered past her. Byrd shoved herself to her feet, her chest heaving, as she snatched her spear from the ground. The force of the impact had snapped the spear in half, but Byrd grabbed the sharper half. She screeched to a halt, mud caking her feet and legs and back, as she raised her spear above her head. She aimed, sucked in a deep breath, and threw the weapon. She held her breath as the weapon sailed through the air, embedding itself between the buck's shoulders. The young buck fell, his body twitching, and then went still.

As the last of the deer escaped the clearing, Sparrow came to Byrd's side.

"I was... Wrong." The chimp grunted. "You did well." The ape's hand found Byrd's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Ridge was.. right... You are ape."

Byrd's heart swelled with pride. She bounded over to Stone and Ridge, who stood waiting. Ridge's deep-set features seemed to sink into concern as his adoptive daughter approached.

 _Ridge! Ridge!_ Byrd signed, grinning proudly.

"Wait." Ridge said aloud, concerned, as he held up a large hand. Byrd paused, halting in her tracks. Ridge seemed to frown as he looked over Byrd. His hand gently rested on Byrd's left shoulder, then drew away. His green eyes saw the crimson which had transferred from Byrd's shoulder to his skin.

 _You are wounded_. Ridge signed. He frowned, then realized what had happened. When Byrd had fallen, she had rolled into a sharp rock buried within the muddy earth.

Byrd frowned, her right hand coming up to press against the bleeding wound. Ridge's concern faded away, and he began to smile. _River will look at it, he signed, but you did well. Come, let's go._ Ridge turned, choosing to knuckle walk instead of walking on two legs. Stone knuckle walked beside his father, glancing up at his adoptive sister who had climbed onto Ridge's back. Stone smiled and hooted softly.

Byrd grinned, signing down to her brother. _Hunt go well?_

Stone seemed to nod, which satisfied both Ridge and Byrd. The rest of the trip was spent in silence.

* * *

"Where are you guys?" Clarke muttered to herself as she stared up at the sky. Beside her, the young nightblood she had found lay asleep. Clarke glanced at Madi, smiled, then looked back up at the stormy sky. They were sitting inside Clarke's old, worn jeep as they waited for the storm to pass. After half an hour, the rain stopped- but the thunder continued to rumble through the sky. A flash of lightning shot overhead, but then vanished as the thunder growled again. Storms still made Clarke a little uneasy, just as they had years ago when she had first returned to Earth. She feared storms were the wrath of nature attempting to get back at mankind for ruining the planet- though she knew storms had been around for a long, long time.

For a long time, Clarke had been left in isolation- after all, she had stayed behind in order for her friends to live. For the past two years, however, the plant and animal life had been returning to the planet. Clarke had seen deer and flowers, and she even thought she had once seen a monkey in the woods. For the past two weeks, Clarke had felt as though eyes were on her at all times- as though she were being watched at all times.

That moment right then was one of those times. She had just barely fallen asleep when the jeep jolted slightly. Clarke shot upward, catching a glimpse of something darting through the underbrush. Clarke shifted into high alert, gently waking Madi as she grabbed for her rifle. "Stay here." Clarke said, climbing from the jeep. She clutched the gun as she ran after whatever she had seen, her eyes following the rustling underbrush. Rain began to pound again. The mud beneath Clarke's feet turned to rock and stone, the underbrush clearing away into ledges of slippery stones.

It became apparent that whatever the running thing was had stolen a bag of supplies from the armored back of the jeep.

"Hey!" Clarke shouted, trying to sound as fearsome as she could. "Stop! I'll shoot!" She readied the gun as the ground beneath Clarke's feet began to incline. They were running up the side of a Rocky mountain, and Clarke didn't know what lay on the other side. Clarke knew she needed the supplies, though, and couldn't risk losing them. She was already running low on food and water as it was, she didn't need this thief, whatever or whoever they or it was, taking her things.

"Stop!" Clarke commanded again, raising the rifle to shoot, but was suddenly thrown off balance by an unknown force. Clarke was shoved off her feet, her head striking the hard stone beneath her. The force of the impact caused a gash to form across her cheek, maybe not too deep but it was still bleeding. Fear overcame Clarke as she realized a hulking, shadowed figure stood above her, Clarke's rifle in her hand.

"Please, don't-" Clarke began, meekly raising her hand in defense, but was greeted by the butt of the rifle being jammed into her temple. And, like that, darkness overtook Clarke's world.


	2. Chapter 2

The night had been quiet thus far, aside from the occasional pitter of soft rains against the stones of the apes' clearing. The home they had made for themselves rested in a bowl shaped valley surrounded by vast, towering walls of rigid stone. The mountain walls kept predators out, but it was also a good place for the ape sentries to watch. Ape homes lined the cave walls, small holes which held makeshift beds and the little material possessions the apes held. Larger apes, such as Byrd's gorilla family, lived closer to the ground in huts made from clay, sticks, and mud. A large fire pit sat in the very center of the valley, the flames roaring sand crackling as it warmed the apes- and the lone human of the tribe.

Byrd sat, surrounded by four female apes mulling over her wound. River, her surrogate mother, made soft cooing noises as Sunny, an orangutan, mashed a green poultice from herbs and oils the healers had provided for them. The other two apes were younger female chimps who had befriended Byrd- Star was the older one, but Stream was a bit younger. As the older gorilla and orangutan mulled over Byrd, Star and Stream were messing with Byrd's auburn hair and adorning it with beads. It was customary for the females in the tribe to braid beads into their hair, and Byrd was a female.

 _Hurt much?_ Stone, who was sitting near Byrd, asked.

Byrd, who felt silly since she was the only member of the hunting party who had been wounded, shook her head. _Doesn't hurt, stings a bit though._ She signed to Stone.

Byrd winced as the poultice was applied to the gash, mixing with the slow trickle of blood. River laid bandages made from thick plant leaves against Byrd's skin. The leaves had been found in the forest, but had been boiled to sanitize them.

As soon as Byrd had been doctored, Sunny lumbered away, silent. Orangutans didn't talk much- none of the older apes really did. They had told Byrd that sometimes words were a waste, that it was a human trait to waste words. They had said they were glad Byrd had not inherited that trait.

River hooted at Star and Stream, who scattered and left Byrd with River and Stone. River's eyes held concern and worry, just as a mother's eyes usually would.

 _Be careful next time_. River signed, putting an edge to get signs to emphasize careful.

I _didn't mean to, I just slipped_. Byrd signed back.

 _Doesn't matter_. River said. _Next time, stay safe._

Byrd frowned, and went to say something, but was interrupted when the anxious hoots of chimpanzees filled the air. Three of them can dashing from the entrance the apes had created though the mountain walls, spears in hand. They were excited by something.

"Found.. human!" One of the chimps shouted.

Ridge appeared last, a figure slung over his shoulder. The figure was indeed human.

 _Thought I was the last?_ Byrd signed worriedly to River.

 _Thought you were_. River replied. _Haven't seen any since we found you._

Byrd frowned, nervously wringing her hands together. A loud, echoing hoot rang through the air. All apes, and Byrd, turned their heads upward to look at the ape leader, Branch, who had emerged from his home.

"Human come here?" Branch's raspy voice asked. "Or Mud bring her here?"

Mud, one of the chimpanzees, held tightly to a burlap sack.

"Human.. has guns!" Mud hooted. "Could kill apes!"

Branch held up a hand, silencing Mud. Branch signed something to Ridge, who answered with a soft grunt and signed to Byrd.

 _Come with._ Ridge signed.

Byrd instantly got to her feet, rushing toward Ridge. The human Ridge carried against his shoulder was maybe a little older than Byrd, with light hair the color of corn husks which came a little lower than he jawline. Red clay had been rubbed into parts of the female's hair, and her eyes were closed.

 _Did you hurt her?_ Byrd signed to Ridge when she saw the gash on the female's cheek and the small cut just above the female's left temple.

"Had to." Ridge grunted. "She had gun."

* * *

They sat huddled in Branch's dwelling, the unconscious human resting on her side in a pile of hay. Byrd sat beside her, watching curiously but also watching the apes sign.

 _How did human find us?_ Branch signed, his features set in a deep glower.

 _Saw her in woods,_ Mud signed, _she had gun.. there was a small human with her. A..._

 _Child_. Ridge signed.

 _Yes,_ Mud nodded, _a child. Had guns, supplies. Followed her. Human saw Creek and I._

 _She followed you here?_ Branch asked.

 _Yes. Tried to lose her. Almost shot me._ Mud signed with an indignant hoot. _Ridge saved me._

 _Can't keep her here._ Ridge said. _Could be more._ _What if they come for her?_

 _Are no others._ Branch signed. _No others except for Byrd and this one's.. child. Branch's fingers stumbled over the sign. Left in big machine, remember? Hiding below the earth._

 _Then where did this one come from?_ Ridge signed, curiosity plain in his features.

 _Don't know._ Mud said.

 _Byrd is human_ , Branch decided, _she can talk to human. Find out more. Better than having apes scare the human._

 _Where do we put the human then?_ Ridge signed.

 _Put her in cage_. Branch decided. _Just to be safe._

* * *

Clarke's head spun violently when she came to, pounding viciously with a dull and throbbing pain. She lay on a cold cobblestone floor coated with stay pieces of straw. She pushed herself slowly into a sitting position despite the protest of pain in her head. The light in wherever she was was dim and she couldn't see much, but faintly realized her cheek wasn't bleeding anymore. Her fingers ghosted over the wound and found that something had been packed over it to stop the flow of blood. When her eye focused after a while, she looked up and nearly jumped when she saw a girl sitting across from her, sharpening a stone spear tip- just on the other side of a set of bars which held Clarke under a small rock ledge. Clarke way in a cage.

"Hey! You!" Clarke whisper-shouted. "Where are we? Where am I?"

The girl looked up at Clarke with indifferent sea green eyes. She didn't answer, but then looked down and continued to sharpen her weapon. White and blue warpaint was rubbed into the girl's hair, and smudged war paint markings remained on the girl's face. Two blue lines ran down the girl's right eye, starting just on her eyebrow and ending at her jawline. A small backward 'c' shaped marking surrounded the girl's left eye, and a larger marking of the same style surrounded the smaller 'c'. A single blue line ran down her chin. The white paint was the color which had been rubbed into the hair, which was also adorned with braids and beads- almost like the girl was part of a tribe.

"Who are you?" Clarke asked. "Are there more of you? Why won't you talk to me?" Again, the girl didn't answer. She didn't even acknowledge Clarke this time. "Great." Clarke muttered, burying her head in her hands. "I'm stuck with a mute."

"I... Am not mute." The girl finally said, her voice low and coarse, as though she didn't speak much. "You say too many words.. it is a waste."

"Well, then answer my questions and I'll stop talking." Clarke told her, glaring.

"You are in the mountains." The girl stated. "I am the only one... Like me."

"And your name?"

The girl looked up, blinking. "Byrd."

Clarke extended her hand to shake through the bars. "I'm Clarke. Clarke Griffin. Can you get me out?"

Byrd watched her, but shook her head. She didn't shake Clarke's hand, just looked back down as she sharpened her spear. "No." Came Byrd's answer.

"Please." Clarke insisted. "You have to help me get out. There's a girl with me, she's young.. she can't- she won't- survive on her own!"

"Not my problem." Byrd said, examining the now sharpened weapon.

"Please. She's all I have left.. and.. and I have to find my friends! If they come back and figure out I'm missing, they'll be pissed. They'll come for you and your tribe with guns and-"

"Enough." Byrd said, leveling the weapon in an attack position. "You lie."

"No. I'm being honest." Clarke said, raising her hands in slight surrender. Byrd's eyes scanned Clarke, calculating.

"Do not believe you." Byrd grunted, her eyes narrowing. "Humans are gone."

"No, they're not." Clarke said. "I'm here. You're here. Madi.. the girl with me.. she's here."

"I am not human." Byrd said. "I am ape." She thumped her chest with a fist. "Will not help you."

Clarke watched as Byrd got to her feet, disappearing down a narrow corridor.

"Damnit." Clarke muttered softly.


	3. Chapter 3

_Human is not alone_. Byrd signed quickly to Branch. She had found him sitting by his dwelling beside his daughter, Stream- the chimp from earlier-, signing to her about something. Byrd mimicked the panicked hoots the chimpanzees often made when they were afraid.

Branch looked up, concern on his graying face. _Human not alone?_ He signed in repetition confused and curious.

 _Mud was right._ Byrd signed. _Human traveling with child. Waiting for more humans to come. Said humans would attack if we kept her here._

Branch held up a hand to calm Byrd. _Human have guns?_

Byrd nodded, her eyes wild. _What if she says is true?_

 _Need time to think._ Branch signed. _What_ _else did you learn?_

 _Human named Clarke._ Byrd said, signing the name a few different ways- she didn't know the precise spelling. _Traveling with younger human named Madi. Waiting for humans to come back._

Branch seemed to nod, thinking. _If human is right, there will be another fight between human and ape. Cannot have that. We will give them a gift._

 _A gift?_ Byrd signed, confused. _Why?_

 _Because it will mean much to human, but cost nothing for ape._ Branch signed. _Two nights ago, bright light cut open the sky- landed beyond mountain. Beyond..._ Branch had forgotten the name.

Byrd frowned and offered the name. _Polis?_

 _Yes, that. Maybe light is what human is talking about._ _What if you are wrong?_ Byrd asked, earning a hard glance from Branch. Byrd lowered her gaze in submission, but added, _I do not challenge you. Do not want conflict with humans._

 _You are human_. Branch signed, his signs edged. _Do not forget who you are. But you are ape at heart._

Byrd nodded. _What do we do now?_

 _Will decide in the morning._ Branch signed. _For now, keep an eye on the human._

* * *

Sleep had not come easily for Clarke. She didn't know when she fell asleep, but knew when she woke up the sun had barely risen. Worry for Madi settled in her chest as she looked up to see Byrd watching her. The thing beside Byrd, however, made Clarke freeze. A giant silverback gorilla with piercing green eyes stared at Clarke, and Clarke stared back.

The gorilla signed something to Byrd, who nodded. Clarke didn't know sign language, but knew that the gorilla meant serious business from the calculated motions of his signing.

Byrd nodded, opening the cage door. "Come." She said to Clarke, watching her levelly. Byrd's gaze reminded Clarke of a bird of prey's eyes, cold and calculating- ready to strike.

"To where?" Clarke asked suspiciously. Byrd glared and moved as if to grab Clarke, but the gorilla placed a hand on Byrd's shoulder.

"We will.. not hurt.. you." The gorilla grunted, with some effort. "Just.. listen."

"Oh my God," Clarke looked a little queasy, and surprised, "it speaks.."

Byrd still seemed to be glaring at Clarke, but the gorilla offered a soft hoot and pulled Byrd back. The gorilla motioned for Clarke to follow. Afraid if she didn't the gorilla would attack, Clarke did as told. Byrd held tightly to her spear as she walked beside the gorilla, who knuckle walked on all fours.

Thousands of thoughts ran through Clarke's head. Who was Byrd? How'd Byrd find this place? Was Byrd raised here? Clarke got one of her answers when another gorilla, smaller than the one walking beside Byrd, grunted and motioned for Byrd to come over. The gorilla wore beads and pieces in her fur just like Byrd, so Clarke assumed the gorilla was female. Byrd hesitated, but made her way to the female gorilla who embraced the human girl. The female gorilla seemed to lift the furs on Byrd's shoulder, exposing the makeshift clothes beneath the fur cloak, to check on a makeshift bandage on Byrd's shoulder. The skin beneath the bandage was red and irritated. Clarke knew it was infected. The gorilla seemed to know, too. After embracing Byrd, the female gorilla allowed Byrd to bound back over to the silverback they had been walking with in the first place.

"Who is that to you?" Clarke asked, glancing at Byrd.

"River. My mother." Byrd answered simply.

"Your... Mother?" Clarke asked, confused- but the pieces were still coming together. Byrd and the silverback led Clarke to the shadow of a dwelling which was placed high above the others. A symbol, faded but visible, lay above that dwelling; carved into the rocks. It was their leader's home, Clarke decided.

Apes were watching, now, green eyes watching Clarke. Most of them, the chimps, began shrieking and pounding their fists against the ground. The gorillas hooted and paced, anxious. The orangutans watched, their eyes listless. Slowly, the leader- a larger male chimp with dark brown fur- exited the home. His green eyes locked on Clarke as he raised his hands to quiet the apes. Byrd and the silverback lowered their eyes, almost seeming to kneel.

Clarke did not do the same.

"There must be something you want if you let me live." Clarke said, watching the chimp.

The chimp studied Clarke, his eyes calculating. "Have something you want." The ape grunted, then glanced at a younger silverback accompanied by two chimps. The leader signed something to the silverback, who temporarily disappeared before reappearing with a familiar girl.

"Madi!" Clarke exclaimed. She went to run to the girl, but was stopped by the larger silverback. The younger silverback gorilla brought Madi to Clarke, signed something slowly to Byrd, then retreated back to the two male chimps. Byrd seemed concerned but whatever the younger gorilla had told her, but she did not speak. Clarke turned her gaze to the leader. "Thank you."

The leader blinked calmly. "Have something else." He stated. "Human ship.. crashed in mountains. Just beyond human city."

"A ship? What do you mean?" Clarke asked.

Byrd grunted indignantly and chose to speak then. "Humans reappearing." Byrd said. "Stone say it not safe for Clarke to-"

"Then ape will go with." The leader said, tilting his head. "You will go with."


End file.
